America: Land of the Free, Home of the Save

I’m always keen to get inside somebody’s head- some say I’m nosey but I prefer curious/inquisitive (delete as appropriate).

As a Planner I’ve earned my Black Belt in focus group moderation and understanding what makes people tick. During Discovery research, getting the most out of people is down to asking the right questions, but really listening is where the rich insight comes from, and often what consumers share with me in one city, I will hear played back to me in another.

From reading Bruce Horivitz’s USA Today article it’s clear that opinions, thoughts and behaviours do not just cross cities, but continents too.

Working on a UK luxury brand means I get to talk to many affluent consumers and what’s clear is that the recession has turned attitudes to luxury and value on their head and affluent consumers have never been savvier.

In the UK and USA alike, it wasn’t long ago that luxury meant a wardrobe of designer clothes, expensive jewellery and fancy cars and as the USA Today highlights, for some, it still does- are you listening Mrs Beckham? But for many affluent consumers, the new luxury is something different and rather more about “shopping savvy and an I-feel-good-owning-this mentality”

No matter how mundane a task might be, brands that enhance an experience in some way and perform well will win out. Take cooking for example- to gain an insight in to how our rich cousins across the pond have started to do things read on…

Posted by Lucy Sheridan.